Cooking for a Cause: The Fort Greene Revolutionary Awards

BEEF | BISON | BACON | BEER

Raw meat lined the tables. Our mouths watered while awaiting the grill to peak at perfect temperature. Even the flies hovered with anticipation, sensing feast beyond the saran wrapped trays. The beers chilled, people chattered and others chipped on the putting green. But this was no ordinary back yard barbeque. We were assembled for good reason.

THE REWIND: It began with the tail end of my journey in the big Apple. It was the summer of 2005 that I happened upon Boost Mobile Rock Corps by way of Craig’s List Dot Com. Our beautifully dysfunctional relationship ended then began again. Together we took walks in the park, fed the homeless, traveled the country and developed a community in the process.

PRESENT DAY: Though my relationship with Rock Corps came to an end, the admiration and respect that I have for this camp remains. Thus, when I caught wind of a new initiative spearheaded by CEO Stephen Greene, of course I wanted to help. To no one’s surprise, I started cooking up a plan. Literally

THE EVENT: BEEF | BISON | BACON | BEER was essentially a big a- burger fest. And while our bellies would benefit from all of the great food, so would this grassroots initiative.


THE CAUSE: The Fort Greene Revolutionary Awards.
Named after a diverse and progressive neighborhood in Brooklyn, this grass roots organization gives cash grants to young people to create change in their neighborhood. Grants will be awarded to 3 lucky winners in 2 age groups: 13-15 and 16-18. Along with the cash grant, the Young Revolutionary Award winner gets a mentor to help them implement their idea.
To apply, one simply tells them what you want to change in your neighborhood. The invitation is extended to all 13-18 year olds residing in the borough of Brooklyn.
The first annual Awards will be at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in spring 2010
It will be judged by a panel of industry, media, marketing, music, entertainment and grassroots activists and stalwarts: who all believe in the power of young people.
The concept of the Awards is "We are all members of our community and change is possible by anyone. All anyone needs to be an organizer is a little respect and some tools."
The entire experience will be documented as a way of sharing with others who would like to organize something similar in their neighborhood, town, borough, hamlet around the world.

THE MENU:
Bison Burgers, Kobe Burgers, Turkey Burgers, Bacon (Pork & Turkey), Extra Sharp Cheddar, Havarti, Provolone, Mini Pickles, Caramelized Onions, Caramelized Jalapeño Peppers, Red Onion, Tomato, Jalapeño Ketchup, Smoky Barbeque Sauce, Pesto Mayo, Roasted Garlic Mayo, Wheat Buns, Brioche Buns,Chips w/ Corn Salsa, Spicy Pecan and Strawberry Salad, Grilled potato wedges, Chocolate Chunk Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia nut Cookies, Peanut Butter Cup cookies and Pacifico Beer!

The burgers were simple perfection (bison the most favored). But surprisingly, the stars of the show were the hand prepared condiments. So I’ll leave you with a few of those recipes. But…

Be certain to visit the website and donate whatever you can. Swank Event Solutions will match ALL donations for the month of December!

Cue music - [Fabolous: Brooklyn]
Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brook! Brook!
Brook! Where Brooklyn At? Brooklyn At where Brooklyn At? Brooklyn Where
Brooklyn At? Brooklyn At? Where Brooklyn At? Brooklyn
Where Brooklyn Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brooklyn!
Brooklyn! Brooklyn! Brook! Brook! Brook!

Im Righthere Big Ya Boy Sit'n On Top Like A Hair Wig Bed-Stuy Fly
Bushwick Sick East New York Walk The Brownsville Grill Ill U See I Gotta Fort Green Lean


RECIPES:
Roasted Garlic Mayo:1 Head of Garlic; Mayo (I prefer Veganaise); Fresh Ground Pepper; Garlic Powder; Olive Oil
Roast peeled garlic in a garlic roaster. If you don’t have one sheet of foil will do fine. Lightly douse the garlic with olive oil before roasting.
Once the garlic is tender as mush, remove from the oven and mash until smooth and creamy. Blend in fresh ground pepper and Garlic powder to taste. The garlic powder makes the flavor of the garlic more pronounced.
Important: Allow your garlic mixture to cool completely. Otherwise, the heat of the garlic will break the mayo.
Once the garlic mixture is cooled, fold it into 1 cup of mayo. Add more if you prefer a lighter taste of garlic.

Jalapeño Ketchup: Ketchup; Jalapeño peppers; Sugar; Olive Oil
Drizzle and heat 5 table spoons of olive oil in a pan. Add jalapeño peppers and give a light stir, coating them with the oil. Allow them to cook for a minute to release their natural oils. Bring to a medium low heat and add sugar. Allow peppers to lightly caramelize.
Note: You can stop here and add these to burritos, burgers or antipasto plates
If not…
Add peppers to a blender and puree. Fold mixture into your favorite ketchup.
Bone petite!

Turning Pears into Bacon.

I was recently challenged to create a dish using specific ingredients (kind of like Chopped or Iron Chef without the time constraints).
How it came about: I was talking to a friend about adding another element to my poached pear recipe (more on that at a later date). The element of choice was a vanilla bean sweet cream sauce. And then she says, “Yeah, dude! Everything tastes better with cream!” Brief pause. “And bacon!” Pause. “And cheese!” Pause. “And butter! That’s sounds like the making of rather intense dish. You should do it!”

And somehow a conversation about partnering warm raspberry sauce with vanilla cream developed into a cooking challenge. Err, ok…

Create a dish using bacon, cream, cheese and butter. Ok, so maybe this sounds simple enough to some. But consider this; I haven’t eaten or cooked with pork since 1991! Where would I begin? How would I know if it tastes good or is seasoned well?

In spite of my reservations and the minor details, I accepted the challenge. At first I considered something simple: Mushroom, bacon risotto topped with fried spinach. Too easy. I wanted to do something that infused the flavor of bacon; a dish that was unsuspecting if you will. A dish that a true bacon fanatic would wanna bathe in!

The end result:
· Bacon Soup w/ White Truffle Cheese (ingredients included cream, butter and white pepper)
· Toast w/ Bacon Pate’
· BBT Sandwich (bacon, basil and tomato)

I left the room. She ate…. And tweeted:

in bacon bliss. my bacon-infused lunch (with a bacon triple cream cheese pate!) courtesy of @swankeventsolut :

If you’re so inclined to try it at home, hit me up for the recipe.

CHEERS

Toast On My Own Terms.

My continued quest to find, explore and eat great food led me to this one Pasadena bakery (name withheld). The reviews on Yelp were stellar and who knew that it was but a half block away from the office. So off I went.

The line was extensive, usually a good sign. I entered and immediately wanted to live there. It décor was simple yet quaint and the aromas were soothing. Literally, I wanted to make the place my home. I simply began to imagine the wooden tables gone, the windows adorned with rich, earthy draperies and my family photos lining the walls. Of course, whoever was back in the kitchen would stay. I’d awake every morning to the divine scent of fresh baked bread and vanilla flavored things.

Midway into my fantasy, I was able to order. I went with a savory flat bread and specialty. Their twist on macaroons had my taste buds doing the tango. The perfect transition of sweet to savory then back again, culminated into a sound explosion in my mouth. Wow, that was dope!
But while the yelpers had urged me to try the macaroons and demanded that I order other selects, my visit would come at a cost; literally. The goods were good but certainly a lunch time splurge. My dream of becoming the newest midday regular lay bloodied on the floor. Dead!

A few days later my colleague and fellow foodie confirmed what I knew to be true; convenience costs! She came in carrying the bakery’s famed pastel colored box. “Have some”, she urged. “It’s so damned good!” Inside the box was the most inviting slice of goowie tastiness that I’d seen in quite some time. A thick slice of baked bread, topped with melted magic (butter, honey and paste) and toasted almonds lay there, entreating me. I went in for it. But when she revealed the price of this serving of heaven, I felt intolerably guilty for indulging. The irony, yes?

CHALLENGE: Create an on-my-own-terms goowie slice of bakery almond bread.

The result was an even better product than the day before. Mostly because, even after purchasing the ingredients, a slice is but a fraction of the cost as that of the bakery. But too, I was able to control the amount of butter and the crunch factor. I took a batch to the office the next day and my colleague agreed. I swear she did! I have gifts of gratitude to substantiate my claim. Try it yourself.

ALMOND BUTTER TOAST

Ingredients:
Sheepherder’s Bread

Loquat Honey Syrup

Organic Honey

Sliced Almonds

Melted Butter

Almond Paste

Work it:
Preheat your oven 350 degrees. Slice bread 1 inch (or thicker). Lightly toast the bread for an extra crunch. Lightly though as it will also get a hit in the oven. Meanwhile work 1 part butter to 2 ½ parts almond paste. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more butter as necessary. The consistency should be spreadable. In another vessel, fold organic honey and loquat honey syrup into a cup of sliced almonds. Be careful not to rough up the almonds too much. It’s a better presentation it they’re not in bits. Your call
Note: I’d suggest equal portions of loquat to organic honey . However, if you like the flavor of mint and licorice, go heavier on the loquat. Conversely, feel free to nix the loquat and go hard on the honey.

Pull it together:
Spread 1 ¼ table spoon of almond butter onto each slice of toast. Then top with 2 ½ table spoons of the almond mixture. Place in oven and bake for 5 – 7 minutes. For more crunch, bake a little longer.

Bone petite

I'm Not New to This...

The nurturing came later. But my love affair with food started long before Julia Childs. Mom put it plainly. “You were a greedy little girl.” She’d feed me until she thought I was content and my tummy was tight. The truth though, was that my palate had had it’s fill of what she was cooking. Oh, it was good food, trust me! As I've maintained, Mom was and is an excellent cook. But I wanted to explore...

I’d ease myself down the four steps that led to the red clay dirt (at 4 years old, mind you), and head next door to my God Mother’s house. There I’d devour homemade biscuits with fresh preserves, cheese eggs, grits and bacon fresh from the slaughter house (being a vegetarian in the Deep South wasn’t an option then). Other times, she’d stuff me plenty with candied yams, corn bread, collard greens and black eyed peas, only immediately after consuming a full plate of smothered chicken and homemade mashed potatoes. They later caught on after my God Mother accused mom of not feeding me enough. “That baby is well passed the stage of jar food, Myrtle. She’s always over here and hungry.” Incredulous, Mom ran down the laundry list of what I’d eaten just that morning. Busted!

All the same, I wouldn’t say that I was greedy. Just in the developing stages of training my palate (smile). To the day, I’m still exploring, eating and finding creative ways to get great food! Even if it means making it myself.

MOM & JULIA

Mom’s basil was shaken from the same dispenser as the oregano and other questionable ‘Italian seasonings’. It looked nothing like the stuff of which Julia Childs plucked from miniature trees atop the kitchen counter. Hmm

But undoubtedly, whatever came showering from those plastic shakers, made the food and her four children do a jig. My mother was and still is a great cook. Grocery shopping was better than Disney world for us. The anticipation alone of what would appear from the well seasoned cast iron skillet was mouth watering.

I laugh now considering that my mom could easily have been the originator of the Chopped, Top and Iron Chef Challenge. I remember combing the cabinets in despair, searching aimlessly for something to eat/ cook. Nothing! Surely this would be the day that we’d parish from starvation. Then like magic, the aromas would tip toe across span of the living room and around the corner to tickle my senses. A rumbling of approval would sound from my belly. I hadn’t noticed any grocery bags. How’d she do that?!

For years, I’d observe them both. Julia, on Saturdays after my fill of the Smurfs or Mr. Magoo and Mom, from the brown velvet covered wood base bench, with a perfect view of the stove top. Like Julia Childs, she would describe the makings of her magic, step by step. But rarely did she allow me entrance (more on why, later).

But Julia… Dear Julia Childs… Her herbs were different! Which must mean that the aromas and taste were too? What I wouldn’t give to be there beside her on a tall stool, offering my life as her personal taste tester (sigh).

I yearned to smell the aromas of her kitchen… Longed to taste the flavor of beef bourguignon and cooking cherry… I wanted a shot at real herbs and seasonings, damn it! And thus it began the nurturing of my love affair with food.

To be continued…